A Test of Strength
by DragonEye0905
Summary: A visiting war king has set up in a Hyrule guard tower, challenging everyone inside to best him in arm-wrestling. Much to the surprise of all her soldiers, Impa accepts his challenge, determined to win and put an end to his "reign of terror" he's humiliating her men with. One Shot.


**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda**

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The common room in the guard tower was in chaos. More so than usual. It seemed that every off-duty guard and soldier was in the small space, laughing and cheering at the sight before them. Ganondorf, the foreigner warlord, had come into the tower and issued a challenge for anyone to partake in. He promised to pay for any man's drinks at the tavern all night if they could best him at arm wrestling. It was a game he knew he couldn't lose, and yet the promise of free ale was enough to make anyone foolish enough to think they could best this competition.

Impa watched as man after man stepped up and took a seat across from the desert king. And time after time each one didn't last more than a breath before their arm was slapped onto the table. Impa couldn't help but roll her eyes as yet another challenger approached the table. Clearly Ganondorf would overpower any of these soldiers. Yet the cheers and shouts coming from the onlookers encouraged them all to try once, twice, as many times as they could until their hands cramped and arms were bruised.

All of the attention was clearly going straight to Ganondorf's head. His expression and posture was getting more and more inflated with pride as the night wore on. Who did he think he was? This foreign beast of a man strutted into her guard tower and acted like he owned the place simply because he came from a race of giants. Impa knew she should stay out of things, but it was getting to be too much. Something had to be done about the Gerudo before this became a nightly endeavor for him to humiliate her guard.

Impa pushed her way through the crowd, earning a few grunts and curses along the way. When the soldiers surrounding the table noticed it was their captain, they immediately moved aside for her to sit down next without another word. She took her place across from Ganondorf and narrowed her eyes at him in a glare. Every eye in the room was fixed on them. It was rare for the captain to partake in the games played during off-hours, and so this display was certainly going to be the talk of the century, no matter the outcome.

Ganondorf smirked at her arrival. "So. What does the infamous captain of the Hylian guard want with me this fine evening?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Impa sneered. "I'm here to put an end to your "reign of terror."

Ganondorf threw his head back and laughed. "You think you can take me? Not a single soldier here has been able to do it thus far. What makes you think you'll succeed instead?"

"I wasn't promoted to captain for nothing. Anyone here can tell you I'm the best warrior in Hyrule." The men surrounding the table murmured their agreement at her comment. Ganondorf, however, looked just as amused and cocky as he did before.

"I'm still twice your size. More than that." His smirk made Impa's eye twitch. She had to best him. Even if he was right, and the odds were against her. There was no way she'd lose to him. She would not allow it.

"I _won't_ lose." Impa narrowed her eyes at him.

Ganondorf grinned. "Then I think this is going to be rather amusing."

Impa refused to give him the benefit of a response. Ganondorf shifted, better placing himself in his seat. The guards around them shuffled closer, anticipating the match that was about to unfold.

"I promise to go easy on you. How about that?" Ganondorf grinned again.

"I don't need to be insulted," Impa spat. "Give me everything you've got."

Ganondorf laughed once more, the sound filling the small room. "As you wish." He placed his elbow on the table, offering his hand to Impa to take. She gripped it tight, settling her arm into place as well. Ganondorf raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. "One,"

"Two,"

"THREE!"

The entire room yelled for the start of the match. Time hung still for just a moment as the two warriors prepared for the most anticipated and intense battle of the night.

*thud*

It was over in an instant. Two arms crashed to one side of the table. The entire room, held it's breath, stunned into silence. Ganondorf's arm lay flat against the table, with Impa's holding it there in triumphant victory. But more stammering to everyone in the audience was not that she had bested his foreign kind, but _how_ she had bested him.

In the instant that the match started, Impa had launched herself towards Ganondorf, pressing their lips together in an unexpected kiss. Ganondorf's eyes were wide with shock, staring down at the Sheikah.

A slow rumble began in the crowed. Murmers asking did that count? Was it really over? But before long, the entire watching crowd was either cheering at the sight before them. Impa smirked against Ganondorf's mouth before pulling away, a triumphant look on her face

"It looks like I won." Impa teased, gesturing with her free hand to her display of victory. Their hands were still clasped together, her arm still pinning his to the table.

Ganondorf narrowed his eyes at her. "This wasn't a fair fight."

"As a warrior, you should always be prepared for _anything._"

Ganondorf's glare only deepened at Impa's smug look. Not only had he lost the fight, but he knew that Impa was _right,_ and he was _wrong._ Truly humiliating in the least.

Ganondorf looked towards the crowed that was continuously growing closer to the two of them.

"Don't you dogs have anything better to do!?" he barked. Immediately they dispersed, clearing the room in only a matter of moments. Loud remarks of forgotten battlements needing to be patrolled or armor to be polished followed the men out of the room. Only two warriors were left, still sitting across from one another. Their hands still entwined.

Ganondorf looked back to Impa. If she didn't know any better, Impa would have said that the Gerudo was actually blushing.

"…I have a request."

Impa quirked en eyebrow at him. "You just lost this fight, and now you want to ask me for a favor?" She laughed, feeling good enough about her victory to indulge him at least a little. "Go on then, what do you want?"

"Another kiss."

_By the goddesses he _is_ blushing._

This time it was Impa's turn to be stunned into a long silence. With each passing breath Ganondorf seemed to grow a little braver, a little bolder, until he was leaning in, grinning like he'd been the victor all along.

Impa leaned away from him. "You'd have to win a round to earn another kiss."

"So I challenge you to round two."

"No, I don't think so," she teased. "You don't have anything to offer me if I win again. Which I would."

"You only won because of that little stunt of yours. I'm challenging you to a fair fight now."

Impa refused again, and the two continued their bickering. Teasing seemed to slowly be burning into a bit more of a true heated arguement. Throughout the entire exchange, however, neither party seemed to notice that neither one of them made a move to unravel their still-entwined fingers from the others' hand.


End file.
